Man sues ex-wife for allegedly trying to kill him in their Redwood City business

By Bonnie Eslinger

Daily News Staff Writer

Posted:
09/11/2013 03:00:00 AM PDT

A man who police say was stabbed by his estranged, bubble-wrapped wife in their Redwood City business two years ago sued her Monday.

Laura Jean Wenke, 52, of Los Altos, is in custody in connection with the 2011 assault on her now ex-husband, Randy Wenke. She is scheduled for jury trial on Nov. 12 and if convicted faces life in prison for attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and assault with a stun gun. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

According to the lawsuit filed in San Mateo County Superior Court, the Wenkes were in the process of getting a divorce when she told him a potential client would drop by their construction business on Sept. 15 at about 7:15 p.m. to meet with him.

Instead, Laura Wenke arrived dressed in a mechanics jumpsuit with bubble wrap underneath, according to the lawsuit. While Randy Wenke sat at a computer, she attacked him from behind with a hunting knife and stun gun, stabbing him in the torso and cutting his neck from left ear to right ear. The two ended up on the ground, and as he wrestled for control she stabbed him in the chest, according to the suit.

As a result of the attack, Randy Wenke has suffered a permanent disability including "numbness of neck, lung scarring/damage and permanent scarring from knife wounds," the suit states. He was unable to work for about three weeks and had to undergo follow-up treatments. He continues to suffer a loss of earnings because "no one wants to hire him" due to concerns about his ex-wife's actions, the suit states. In addition to physical pain, he struggles with "extreme mental anguish."

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On the night of the attack, Laura Wenke also came with linseed oil, two buckets and shop rags and "had the intent to light Wenke Construction, the place of business, on fire" to destroy business records and evidence of the assault, the suit states.

The suit also claims that although she was vice president of Wenke Construction, Laura Wenke did not deposit funds for payment of services into its business account. She also "opened undisclosed bank accounts" and deposited money that should have been his into those accounts, the suit alleges.

The suit accuses her of committing battery, assault, fraud and breach of fiduciary duty, and of inflicting emotional distress. It seeks unspecified general damages, medical and related expenses, past and future lost earnings and other compensation and punitive damages.

Randy Wenke also is seeking to put a lien against any business funds his ex-wife transferred to other accounts as well as money due to her, to secure his "ownership interests and rights."

In the filing, Wenke also seeks damages against unnamed professionals who treated his ex-wife's mental illness -- including therapists, counselors, case managers and nurses -- for not giving her appropriate medication and for not contacting the authorities when she "expressed desires to hurt other persons, or herself."

Randy Wenke's lawyer, Janet Brayer, could not be reached for comment.

Laura Wenke's defense attorney, Geoff Carr, said he was surprised by the timing of the suit because the ex-husband will be called to testify at her trial. Once the jury knows he has sued, he'll have less credibility, Carr said.

"He wants to leave her penniless," Carr said. "I'll be looking forward to cross-examining him, since (the suit) gives him a vested interest in the outcome of the case that he didn't have before."